Molly Crabapple, co-author of Dr. Sketchy's Official Rainy Day Colouring Book, poses seductively with WPIX's "Help Me Howard" Thompson during a lull in the festivities at the Slipper Room to celebrate the book's publication. (I'm not sure how Thompson wound up at the party, but when I asked if he was okay with me running a photograph that looked like borderline canoodling, he laughed and told me to go for it, so he's cool by me.) At the other end of the bar, Crabapple's collaborator John Leavitt staked out a booth and signed copies.

Now hang on, because there's plenty more photos. Come for the male strippers, stay for the publishing news, that's our new motto!

Dr. Sketchy's is a series of barroom life drawing sessions that has spread from Crabapple's original Williamsburg location to cities worldwide (in fact, the book, the first offering from the indie Sepulculture Books, pretty much explains how you can start one in your hometown), and one of the regular models, "The White Boom Boom" was one of several burlesque artists on hand to entertain the crowd with a routine built around Oingo Boingo's "Dead Man's Party." (Personally, I thought the outfit called for Adam and the Ants' "Stand and Deliver," but then I'm not a burlesque choreographer, am I?) You might want to click on the images to see a more detailed sequence of events. (Every other blog at mediabistro.com has managed to crash the server at least once; today it's our turn!)

"Self-described female-female impersonator" The World Famous *BOB* was the evening's hostess, introducing the various erotic dancers along with musical guests The Two Man Gentleman Band. Obviously, there's only one gentleman in the picture; the other one was coming onto the stage with his banjo as *BOB* was walking off.

Meanwhile, mediabistro.com assistant education director Amanda Barrett confers with Michael Malice of Overheard in New York fame about his role in that summit meeting of bloggers with book deals you've read about in Gawker. At the other end of the banquette, freelance journalist Martha Burzynski has a giggle with novelist (Family and Other Accidents) Shari Goldhagen (who's running a mediabistro.com workshop on how to get published next week) share a laugh over the Dr. Sketchy's cake so totally NSFW I'm hiding it behind a pop-up window, and don't say I didn't warn you.